Weighted foot-attached training device



Aug. 8, 1967 MCCRORY ET AL 3,334,898

WEIGHTED FOOT-ATTACHED TRAINING DEVICE Filed Aug. 5, 1965 1 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS- war M. Mmeazr BY JIM/[x a: 1mm

Aug. 8, 1967 i D, MCCRORY ET AL 3,334,898

WEIGHTED FOOT-ATTACHED TRAINING DEVICE Filed Aug. 5, 1965 ZSheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,334,898 WEIGHTED FOOT-ATTACHED TRAINING DEVICE Doris M. McCrory and James G. McCrory, both of 1123 W. Clark, Berne, Ind. 46711 Filed Aug. 5, 1965, Ser. No. 479,693 Claims. (Cl. 272-57) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A training device moutable on a persons foot and comprising a wrap adapted to be disposed around the ankle and connected to a flexible band extending over the foot and under the arch. Pockets are provided on said wrap for the reception of removable weights.

This invention relates to a training device for strengthening a persons legs, training a person to lift his legs higher, and the like. This application is a continuation-inpart of our copending application Ser. No. 399,255, filed Sept. 25, 1964, and now abandoned.

It is an object of the invention to provide a training device which will provide a weighted attachment for a persons foot and whose weight can be quicklyvand easily adjusted. It is a further object of the invention to provide such a training device which can be easily put on and taken off a persons foot, which can be worn on different sized feet, which will be comfortable to the person wearing it, and which can be worn by a person wearing a conventional shoe.

According to the preferred form of the invention, there is provided a flexible wrap receivable around the users ankle. An elastic band is connected at its opposed ends to the lateral edges of the Wrap for reception over the top of the users foot adjacent the instep and under the arch of the foot. Said band has a single twist intermediate its ends so that it can cross over the top of the foot and still lie flat against said foot over its entire extent. A pair of laces are also connected to the lateral edges of the wrap for fastening the upper end of said wrap around the users leg.

A plurality of first pockets are provided on the wrap to hold a plurality of removable weights. Second pockets are also provided on the wrap in positions to lie intermediate the first pockets and the users foot. Pads are remova'bly carried in the second pockets to cushion the user's foot against the weights.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the more detailed description which follows and from the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a persons foot wearing a training device embodying our invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevation of the training device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on the line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a rear elevation of a modified form of the training device shown in FIGS. 1-4; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line 66 of 'FIG. 5.

As shown in the drawings, our invention comprises a flexible wrap formed from a first generally rectangular sheet 10 having a peripherally extending binding 12. Said wrap has a lateral extent such that it can be wrapped around a persons ankle with its opposed lateral edges being disposed along the front portion of the foot and leg. A pair of projections 14 extend laterally outwardly and downwardly from the lateral edges of the sheet 10. Said of the adjacent weights 28 and pad 32 and tucked into- 3,334,898 Patented Aug. 8, 1967 projections are connected to the opposed ends of an elastic band 16 which, when the device is worn as shown in FIG. 1, has its ends crossed over each other along the top of the foot adjacent the instep, as at 18, and its intermediate portion extending under the arch of the foot, as at 20. The 'band 16 has a single twist intermediate its ends so that it will lie flat against the foot over its entire length.

As shown in FIG. 3, a pair of laterally spaced second flexible sheets 22 are connected to the outer face of the sheet 10 long their lateral sides and bottom. A pair of third sheets 24 overlie the sheets 22 and are connected to the sheets 22 and sheet 10 along their lateral sides and bottom. The sheets 24 are further connected to the sheets 22 along laterally spaced vertically extending lines of connection 25 and thus provide a plurality of open ended pockets 26 in which a plurality of removable lead weights 28 are carried. The spaces between the sheets 22 and sheet 10 also define a pair of pockets 30 in which removable pads 32 can be carried. In this manner, each of the pads 32 is interposed between the weights 28 and the persons foot to cushion said foot against the weights. In order to releasably retain the weights 28 and pads 32 in their respective pockets, each of the sheets 24 has a tongue 34 at its upper end which may be brought over the top the pocket 30 between said pad 32 and the sheet 10.

As shown in FIG. 1, the band "16 retains the lower portion of the device on the users foot. To fasten the upper portion of the device on said foot, a pair of laces 38 are connected to the sheet 10 at its interconnection to the sheets 22 and 24. Said laces extend outwardly from the lateral edges of the wrap and are adapted to be tied around the users leg above the ankle.

The weights 2'8 will necessarily cause the person using the device to exert an extra force to lift his foot. This causes a strengthening of the leg muscles. It also causes the person to tend to lift his foot higher from the ground when the device is removed from his foot.

A modified embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 and comprises a flexible Wrap formed from a generally rectangular sheet 10' having a peripheral binding 12. A pair of projections 14' extend laterally outwardly from the lateral edges of the sheet 10'. One of said projections is fixedly connected to the end of an elastic band 16 upon which a flexible sleeve 39 is slidably carried. A flexible tab 40 is mounted on the opposite end of the band 16' and carries a pair of fasteners 41 adapted to be releasably connected to cooperating fasteners 42 mounted on the other projection 14. In this manner, the band 16' can :be provided with a single twist and crossed over the users foot in the manner of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 and be retained in such position by locking engagement by the cooperating fasteners 41 and 42.

With the exception of the band construction, the device shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is identical with the device shown in FIGS. 1-4. To this end, a pair of [laterally spaced second flexible sheets 22' are connected to the outer face of the sheet 10 along their lateral sides and bottom. A pair of third sheets 24' overlie the sheets 22 and are connected thereto and to sheet 10' along their lateral sides and bottoms, the sheets 24' being further connected to the sheets 22' along lateral spaced vertically extending lines of contact 25' to provide open ended pockets 26' in which removable lead weights 28' are carried. Pockets 30' are formed between the sheets 22' and 10 for carrying removable pads 32'.

The upper end of the device is connected to the users foot by laces 38' connected to the sheet 10' and extending outwardly from the lateral edges thereof so that they may be tied around the users leg above the ankle.

We claim:

1. A training device for attachment to a persons foot,

comprising a flexible wrap receivable around the users ankle, said wrap being formed from an elongated first sheet, a pair of laterally spaced second sheets each connected along its sides and bottom to said first sheet, and a third sheet overlying each of said second sheets and each connected along its sides and bottom to the underlying second sheet wherein the spaces between said second and third sheets form first pocket means and the spaces between said first and second sheets form second pocket means, a plurality of weights removably carried in said first pocket means, a plurality of pads removably carried in said second pocket means, an elastic band for interconnecting the lateral edges of said first sheet and receivable over the top of the users foot adjacent the instep and under the arch of the users foot, and fastening means for releasably interconnecting the lateral edges of the first sheet around the users leg.

2. The invention as set forth in claim 1 in which each pair of said second and third sheets are interconnected at a plurality of laterally spaced points to form a plurality of pockets for reception of said weights.

3. The invention as set forth in claim 1 in which each of said third sheets has an upwardly extending tongue receivable in said second pocket means for closing the upper ends of said first pocket means.

4. The invention as set forth in claim 1 in which said second sheets are connected to said first sheet inwardly from the edges thereof, and said fastening means comprises a pair of laces connected to said first and second sheets inwardly from the lateral edges of said first sheet.

5. A training device for attachment to a persons foot, comprising a flexible wrap receivable around the ankle, said wrap having projections adjacent the lower ends of its lateral edges, an elastic band comprising a flat strip connected at its ends to said projections and being of a sufficient length to surround the foot over the top of said foot adjacent the instep and under the arch of said foot, said strip having means for lying flat against the foot over the entire length of said strip, said last mentioned means including a single twist intermediate the ends of said strip, means adjacent the upper end of the wrap for releasably connecting the lateral edges of said wrap around the leg, a plurality of pockets along the outer face of said wrap, and a plurality of weights removably carried in said pockets.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 727,243 5/ 1903 White 223 1,231,332 6/1917 Collis 128--166 1,351,248 8/1920 Hill 128166 2,241,833 5/1941 Waller 272-57 3,278,184 10/1966 Rosenbaurn 272-57 FOREIGN PATENTS 572 1890 Great Britain.

259,420 10/ 1926 Great Britain.

509,276 7/1939 Great Britain.

ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, F. BARRY SHAY,

Examiners. A. W. KRAMER, Assistant Examiner. 

5. A TRAINING DEVICE FOR ATTACHMENT TO A PERSON''S FOOT, COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE WRAP RECEIVABLE AROUND THE ANKLE, SAID WRAP HAVING PROJECTIONS ADJACENT THE LOWER ENDS OF ITS LATERAL EDGES, AN ELASTIC BAND COMPRISING A FLAT STRIP CONNECTED AT ITS ENDS TO SAID PROJECTIONS AND BEING OF A SUFFICIENT LENGTH TO SURROUND THE FOOT OVER THE TOP OF SAID FOOT ADJACENT THE INSTEP AND UNDER THE ARCH OF SAID FOOT, SAID STRIP HAVING MEANS FOR LYING FLAT AGAINST THE FOOT OVER THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF SAID STRIP, SAID LAST MENTIONED MEANS INCLUDING A SINGLE TWIST INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS OF SAID STRIP, MEANS ADJACENT THE UPPER END OF THE WRAP FOR RELEASABLY CONNECTING THE LATERAL EDGES OF SAID WRAP AROUND THE LEG, A PLURALITY OF POCKETS ALONG THE OUTER FACE OF SAID WRAP, AND A PLURALITY OF WEIGHTS REMOVABLY CARRIED SAID POCKETS. 